23 comments:

We have an angelcare monitor with the sensor pad (looks like the one you listed might be similar) and I would HIGHLY recommend it. We've had our daughter in her crib since day 1 at home and it gives me SO much peace of mind! Otherwise I think I would be in there every half hour checking on her. Must have, definitely!As far as a breast pump, my hospital recommends Ameda or Medela. I have an Ameda Purely Yours and although I don't pump much, it's nice to have a double electric pump so you can get the job done quickly and spend more time with your baby :)Also, you might check with your insurance and see if they cover a breast pump, I know a lot of people who only had to pay the copay on theirs and the insurance covered the rest. This is at the hospital store if yours has one like it. Just an FYI because I had NO idea about that!!

so... I am not a mom, but I am a NICU nurse so I have quite a bit of experience with breast pumps. At the hospital we used to have medela pumps in the pumping room for the moms. Many of my breast feeding co workers bring this pump to work with them.http://www.amazon.com/Pump-Style-Advanced-Breast-Backpack/dp/B0011E75RK

They really like it. You want pumping to be as easy as possible for yourself so that if you do have to leave baby you are able to leave them with your milk (and keep pumping while you are away).

Now at the hospital we have ameda pumps. They seem to work well for the moms. I suppose these are probably the two most expensive brands but they are also very effective and high quality (definitely could last through many babies).

Ria, I had talked to a couple friends while making our registry several weeks ago. I wanted to get started on it and work on it slowly when I was feeling well. SO GLAD I DID! Anyways, a friend of mine who is a nurse highly recommended the Medela line of breast pumps. And if your insurance covers you will just need a prescription from your doctor to get one. Also, take into consideration the max weight when getting a car seat/travel system. I ended up registering for a convertible car seat that holds up to 65 lbs. Its not good for baby to sit in the carrier for long periods (besides car rides). Be sure to register for a carrier or wrap. Also, do you plan to jog when Jude is born? Maybe a jogging stroller?

We use the Angelcare monitor, and it is wonderful! I really sleep so much better knowing that the alarm will go off if there is no sense of movement. We have never had an issue of it going off by mistake. Also, I don't pump too often but we have a Medela that I am renting from the hospital. I have a friend that is a baby nurse and that was the only one she would recommend...and I figured if that's the one my lactation consultant thought was best it was worth trying. As for the car seat, we have the Chicco Key Fit, which goes up to 30 lbs. My husband and I had considered going just for the convertible car seat, but are SO glad that we didn't. (I completely understand why some families skip the smaller car seat - it's added expense and I agree that it's not good for them to be in it all the time.) But...after running lots of errands with my own baby Jude :) I can't imagine how I would do it with the convertible car seat. When they're little, it's so nice to be able to take them in the grocery store, post office, etc. without unstrapping them. My Jude hates being taken out and strapped in. But once he's inside, he sleeps wonderfully in his Chicco car seat. Also, everyone I know is really happy with their Chicco, even if it is a bit more expensive. Good luck!

Someone else mentioned it above, we have the Angel care monitor and LOVE it. It has a sensor pad just like the one you have listed above and comes with to receivers. Also we have the Graco Travel stroller/carseat system and have loved it. The stroller is very light weight so it made it very easy for myself to pull it in and out of our trunk when we go out. Also the gerber cloth diapers make GREAT burp rags, get the 3 layered ones though, the thin ones wont absorb a thing. Also we love our wipe warmer and we have the arm and hammer diaper bin. The refills are about $2 cheaper per pack as opposed to the diaper genie.When you register for a bouncer get one that has fun toys hanging off of it. We made the mistake of registering for a $50 bouncer because it looked "comfy" but it only had two stuffed little toys on it. I ended up going back and buying a fisher price one (the frog one) that cost meall of $12 but has rattles and handles and he LOVES it. To this day it was the best $12 I've ever spent. So just because something costs more doesn't mean they will like it more :) lol

Right now we've just got the Sony, audio-only, monitor. It got the best reviews from Baby Bargains and we weren't really sure with our small house that we would need a video one...not to say we won't buy one later, but we're just wanting to experiment for now.

I'm borrowing a Medela pump from a good friend, and saving a ton! Thankfully I can buy all new tubing/parts from my hospital!

We ended up buying a Graco carseat, borrowing a BabyTrend Snap & Go, and then buying a Baby Jogger City Mini for our main stroller...so many of my friends get frustrated with the weight of their full travel system!

I have to agree with the rest of the mommy's who suggested the Medella Pump. We were given another brand and when I became engorged after having my son that pump did not even touch the pain that I was in. My hubby went out and got me a Medella and within a few minutes I had MUCH relief.

As far as a travel system, we went online and checked out all the safety ratings and purchased the one that had the highest. When it comes to precious cargo, you just can never be to careful and it is worth the money to know your baby would be safe. The stroller/carseat combo's though are wonderful!!

I have been exclusively pumping since Sam was about 4 weeks old. He just refused to nurse after that ( I think my milk is slow or something)

I have a Madela and I love it! I have been using it every 3 hours pretty much for the last 5 months and have never had a single problem with it. I actually bought it before Joshua was born and used it occasionally the first 6 months after he was born, and then exclusively for about 2 months. So I definitely can say they are QUALITY. It has had much use and it still works like it did the day I bought it. They are a little spendy but definitely worth it.

And for a stroller/carseat we got a baby trend carseat at a baby shower then ended up buying the jogging stroller later on. We use it constantly still. It is nice and tall so Ryan doesn't have a problem pushing it, and its nice and spacious. My 4 year old sister rides in it sometimes. I ran and walked constantly after Joshua was born and loved it. It doesn't get much use now that we have the double stroller but I still love it and am not willing to get rid of it :)

We registered for a lot of 2 piece outfits that Joshua never wore... A lot of sleepers and onesies are totally essential!

California Baby® Non-Burning & Calming™ Diaper Area Wash, MOBY Wrap!! Monitors, baby gates, a taggie blanket (I have a friend who makes adorable ones at a cheap price) they are nice because they are small and textured. LOTS of onesies in ALL sizes!! Mirror for in the car in the backseat. If you have a car without a headrest Wal-mart has $5 suction ones! They are the BEST!!

My son didn't like teethers or pacifiers.

Also sign up at jbf.com for upcoming sales! They have the largest indoor consignment sale of baby stuff!!

Monitor:I've read great things about that sensor pad, and even was convinced that I needed it, but I ended up getting this Graco one as a gift : http://www.target.com/p/Graco-Direct-Connect-Digital-Monitor-with-2-Parent-Receivers/-/A-13007192I really like it, and ended up not investing in the sensor one. And Addie sleeps on her stomach too... I guess it ends up being a personal comfort thing.

Stroller/Carseat:Sooo many options! I would say if you're thinking you want to do the combo, bump up the the Chicco Keyfit system if the price difference isn't too much to handle. The Chicco carseat is so much safer and the base is magnet, so it clicks right into place and you don't have to line up the grooves!With that said though, we've sold so many of the combos at work and have people come back just hating the stroller because it's so much plastic, and things break, and it doesn't push well outdoors. But everyone loves the carseat!If you like the combo idea because the carseat can go into the stroller, there are so many strollers now that are compatible with carseats, that you can get a stroller you love and then use your carseat with it.

Breastpump:Definitely go Medela! My doctor wrote me a prescription for one, and they pump so much faster. Even though you're not working "full time" in an office or anything, there will definitely be times you'll use the pump at home.

Others:I have a list a mile long of things you'll want! haha just get ahold of me if you want some ideas... or stop in at Baby Grand and I'll show you around =]

I love my medela breast pump-in-style but I've heard good things about the avent one too. I got a baby trend jogging stroller and didn't like it! The stroller got rusty and worn down really fast and I didn't even use it that much. And the baby trend clips on the carseat are a big hassel....so if you're going with a baby trend brand car seat, make sure to try out the clips first to see if you're ok with the way they snap :) It doesn't seem like a big deal but when you do it all the time it can get annoying fast! :) Always good to stock up on diapers, wipes, onesies and burp rags before the baby comes....you'll go through them so fast and be so happy if you have plenty on hand during the first week or 2 of adjusting to parenthood! And the last thing....we LOVE our halo sleep sack! It does an awesome job of swaddling and we used it with both kids :)

Thinking and praying for you guys during this beautiful time!!!! You're looking so cute :) Have fun!

One thing that really helped me when registering was getting the book "Baby Bargains". It has reviews on everything under the sun when it comes to pregnancy and babies. For each product, they review all of the different types and brands, and takes into consideration price as well. Then they rank their top 3 suggestions and explain the pros and cons for each one. This was very helpful!

Similar to what other's have said:-Love the Graco stoller/carseat combo. After reading a lot of reviews and talking to lots of friends, this seemed to be the best. HOWEVER, there are MANY different brands and they are all good. They have to be, and have to be up to "code" in order to be sold. SO more so, it's a personal preference.-Sleepy Wrap/Moby Wrap. Again, likely a brand preference, but get a baby carrier! LOVE this!! One of the best items I got. You can carry around the babe and be hands free. Makes for GREAT bonding time (dad can wear it too!), grocery shopping, going to the zoo, cuddle time walking around the house. He will sleep in it and you will LOVE the cuddle time!!-Breast pump: I have the Medela pump in style double pump. Talk to a Lactation consultant in the hospital or take a breastfeeding class. You will get more info here, but the double electric pumps are very helpful. And yes, see if you can borrow or rent one.-Arm & Hammer diaper pail, love it! Like Jenny said, cheaper than diaper genie but works great!-Lots of receiving blankets. I got a ton of these at a baby shower and thought "I won't need all of these". BUT, I underestimated how many times there would be spit up, poopie, pee, etc on these and you don't want to do laundry every day. Plus, they double as burp rags too.-Boppy pillow. GREAT to have to hold the babe while breastfeeding, sitting him up to see the world and tummy time. A great pillow to cuddle him with.-Bottles. No matter if you know you are going to breastfeed, get a couple bottles and some formula just in case. As must as you WANT to breastfeed, you never know when you will come to an obstacle and may have problems (I hope not for you!) and you will need to feed a hungry baby.